Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
Just a heads up... they seem to be having issues... turn-around times have gone up and a decent amount of stuff is out of stock.
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Signs 365
- Thread starter Texas_Signmaker
- Start date
ABA Visibility Products
Premium Subscriber
Hello Everyone--
It's insane out there. Product availability seems to be all over the place. We are fortunate that we have most of our raw materials in stock ready to print for whatever you need. Give Bryan or Cathy a call at 801-305-1655 or email sales@abacatalog.com and we will get you take care of.
Thank you!
It's insane out there. Product availability seems to be all over the place. We are fortunate that we have most of our raw materials in stock ready to print for whatever you need. Give Bryan or Cathy a call at 801-305-1655 or email sales@abacatalog.com and we will get you take care of.
Thank you!
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
Taken last week.
MNT_Printhead
Working among the Corporate Lizard People
What is really bad, beyond the ships waiting to unload, once they unload they have to wait for truck and there is a shortage of drivers. Our company has over 90 containers that have been sitting in port for weeks to months.
Notarealsignguy
Arial - it's almost helvetica
Notarealsignguy
Arial - it's almost helvetica
It's times like these that being a smaller shop and being diversified has its advantages. On the plus side, the inability to get material is gonna naturally take care of the labor shortages.
Pauly
Printrade.com.au
Probably the same people who still have that stock sitting there taking up warehouse space.
FireSprint.com
Trade Only Screen & Digital Sign Printing
It's really crazy out there.
Gino
Premium Subscriber
What's that old saying........ Law of Supply & Demand ??
People's willingness to supply and demand a good(s) determines the market equilibrium price or the price where the quantity of the good that people are willing to supply equals the quantity that people demand.
However, multiple factors can affect both supply and demand, causing them to increase or decrease in various ways, especially with a curve added in...... on purpose. In this case, it's been deliberately hampered by so-called intelligent higher ups....... governments round the world are playing God. And they ain't all capitalists.
People's willingness to supply and demand a good(s) determines the market equilibrium price or the price where the quantity of the good that people are willing to supply equals the quantity that people demand.
However, multiple factors can affect both supply and demand, causing them to increase or decrease in various ways, especially with a curve added in...... on purpose. In this case, it's been deliberately hampered by so-called intelligent higher ups....... governments round the world are playing God. And they ain't all capitalists.
I don't know where everyone is located but out here on the East coast every day I'm seeing the news covering the container ships just sitting out there in the Pacific just waiting to unload. I first started seeing the shortage a couple of months ago while ordering PVC post sleeves. Now it's anyone's guess what I can order.
I'm hearing its a shortage of truckers and longshoreman. This is just crazy.
Notarealsignguy
Arial - it's almost helvetica
Econ101 except your last tidbit. Consolidation of manufacturers also throws the equilibrium off balance. Maybe China is engaging in a silent war with the USA, take the means of production and then cut off supply? It has been said that they play the long game. We should have thought about these things 30-40 years ago but people were too busy making money and buying crap.
ColorCrest
All around shop helper.
Our inventory has doubled. But we have the warehouse space to do it in and not have it be a problem. Our yearly inventory is going to be fun...
We're sitting on 3 skids of aluminum, 2 skids of coro, 2 skids of polyplate... a full skid of Alupanel, 2 rolls of our not so used vinyl, like 5-10 rolls of our most used vinyl....when we used to stock a few sheets of each and order as needed.
It isnt even about a shortage anymore. Everytime we buy something the price jumps up another 5%. I used to buy a sheet of 5x10 aluminum for $90...and now I just got quoted $142. So we buy a skid or two extra to minimize on the skyrocketing prices. Not only do we save by not buying it after the next 5% bump... but we get a deal since we take in so much of it. Before we were scared of running out of material... That doesnt seem to be the issue anymore, we can get whatever we want.. it's just between 10 and 30% more in cost.
Just out of curiosity I E-mailed the 3 suppliers we buy aluminum from asking what the price on their inbound shipment will be. $167 per sheet... But theres 2 skids at the old $142 pricing left. so I can buy 150 sheets right now for $21,300... or in December those same 2 skids will cost me $25,050... Almost a $4000 hit seeing as how we use a skid per month roughly.
So It looks like I'm going up to 4 skids on the floor and that'll last us into the new year when it'll probably jump up to $200 a piece!
But yeah. I think right now it's not a panic buying issue, and it's more of a save 15-20% On cost if I buy it this month vs if I buy it next month. Certain things like aluminum which is 90% of our business will get used up for certain... So why not buy a ton extra and get some savings? tying up capital sucks, but unless the price of aluminum decides to drop dramatically... and lets be honest, even if suppliers started to get the old pricing back, they know what we'll pay for it now and the price isnt going to drop.... so some stuff is a safe bet to stock up on.
So It looks like I'm going up to 4 skids on the floor and that'll last us into the new year when it'll probably jump up to $200 a piece!
But yeah. I think right now it's not a panic buying issue, and it's more of a save 15-20% On cost if I buy it this month vs if I buy it next month. Certain things like aluminum which is 90% of our business will get used up for certain... So why not buy a ton extra and get some savings? tying up capital sucks, but unless the price of aluminum decides to drop dramatically... and lets be honest, even if suppliers started to get the old pricing back, they know what we'll pay for it now and the price isnt going to drop.... so some stuff is a safe bet to stock up on.
I tend to buy extra stuff, the trouble is trying to keep up with current pricing so I am pricing it according to what it would cost if I bought it today. I figure the extra profit margin that I am making is like making interest off of my money, especially when I know I am pricing against other shops who didn't buy in bulk or in advance.
And yes, the prices are quick to climb and slow to fall because I feel they know their materials are going to be bought regardless of price. I wouldn't say I have panic bought anything, but I have increased my inventory dramatically to weather any potential price hikes or shortages. That has burnt me in the past when I stocked up on a particular color of vinyl for one customer, and they switched colors on me before I cleaned out my stock. The vinyl aged out and I sent a few rolls to the dumpster. Substrates I feel better about stocking.
2B
Active Member
That is stated PERFECTLY!!!
One can NOT go by what was paid for XXX, but what you have to pay to REPLACE XXX, and that is the cost you use for margins.